TOKYO, October 6. /TASS/. Japanese authorities have ordered the evacuation of almost 400,000 people in the central part of the country, hit by powerful Typhoon Phanfone.

More than 620 flights have been canceled and traffic has been suspended on the Shinkansen high-speed railways linking the capital Tokyo and Nagoya, and also other lines.

Three US troops were washed on the northern coast in Okinawa Island on Sunday. One of them was later found dead, while two others are believed to have gone missing.

Typhoon Phanfone, which means ‘Animal’ in the Laotian language, has hit the main part of Japan’s territory in the area of Hamamatsu, in western Shizuoka Prefecture, and is now heading to the north with the wind speed of almost 40 m/s.

The waves in coastal areas reach the height of 11 meters. The typhoon has brought powerful rains to central Japan, including Tokyo, and authorities warn of possible landslides and floods.